


The Long Road

by Silence_burns



Category: Bright (2017)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Humor, Interrogation, M/M, our elf is going to have a hard time, reader is gender neutral as always
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-07 09:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21455599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silence_burns/pseuds/Silence_burns
Summary: Interrogating you was the last thing Kandomere wanted to do on that day. Shame he had very little of a choice in that matter...
Relationships: Kandomere (Bright)/Reader, Kandomere (Bright)/You
Comments: 10
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

The interrogation room looked real nice today. You really admired all the expensive furniture the precinct decided would suit the interior best. Like the cold metal chair bolted to the floor. And the table with some old spit stains. Maybe even yours, who knows. 

  
You gave a very bright smile to the glass panel to your right. You couldn’t see anything behind it, but you were sure the people on the other side have been watching you for any hint of whatever they wanted to find. 

It brought you some relief to know that you weren’t the only one burdened with a very shitty day. 

  
“Can I at least get some coffee? Please?" 

  
Again, no one bothered to answer your call. It wasn’t much of a surprise, to be honest. It’s not like they answered any of the previous ones throughout the hours you were sitting there by yourself, with your hands cuffed securely to the table. 

  
You were deciding upon which song to sing loudly, preferably with the most irritating voice you could muster, when the door actually opened. 

  
Your hope died as quickly as it appeared. You knew that guy. 

  
It’s not like you had a long history together, but it often just happened that you were seen in places he had a lot of interest in. And maybe you sometimes met people he had some problems finding. And maybe he was a huge pain in the ass about it. 

  
"Come on, you can’t be serious,” you groaned, slouching in the chair. “Please tell me you just wanted to pay me very quick, very brief visit." 

  
The scarce light over your heads shimmered over his pale blue hair as the officer took the chair opposite of you. 

  
He put a thick file on the table, no doubt having a lot of interesting information about you since it was printed with your name. Or maybe he just put some empty pages inside to make the situation appear more serious. 

  
He was very careful about where he put his hands. You couldn’t blame him. Some of the sticky patterns on the table looked very intriguing. 

  
"I’m afraid nothing is quick and easy with you,” he said with a hint of resignation. 

  
“Oh dear, is my favourite officer unhappy to see me? I left you a postcard last time." 

  
"You did. Right after you stole the evidence.”

  
“It belonged to me.”

  
“It was evidence in an ongoing investigation." 

  
"Oh worm. Are you going to punish me?" 

  
"I’d love to, but I’d prefer to focus on something else right now." 

  
He handed you a photo of a tall, dark-skinned man. You barely looked at it. 

  
You held Kandomere’s gaze. Your smile was bright enough to blind, but the elf seemed unfazed. 

  
"Do you know this man?” he asked in his calm, professional voice. Only once did you manage to get under his skin enough to make him lose his temper. If it weren’t so annoying, you’d be impressed. 

  
“Nope. Never seen him." 

  
Kandomere took out another photograph. You were on it, talking to the same man. 

  
"The cameras caught you talking to him yesterday." 

  
You gasped, very dramatically. 

  
"How can that be? I can’t recall it at all." 

  
"It doesn’t surprise me, especially since your meeting occurred beyond the camera’s range. Unfortunately for you, one of the private car’s cameras just happened to capture you." 

  
You allowed yourself a crooked smile. "And how come you have obtained that footage so quickly from a civilian, especially one that had no idea the man could be anyone important to you?" 

  
"I am a very lucky guy,” Kandomere stated without a hint of hesitation. 

  
So either you or the man have been followed. That was indeed unfortunate. 

  
“It must come in handy in your line of work." 

  
"I don’t have time to play your games and let you talk for hours. We’ve been over this." 

  
Kandomere crossed his arms, leaning back on his chair. He didn’t look around, focusing his attention entirely on you. You had a feeling someone was watching from behind the glass anyway, probably Montehugh. It couldn’t be anyone actually important, or the elf wouldn’t act so casual, despite his annoyance. 

  
"I miss your partner,” you sighed. “Talking to you alone is really frustrating." 

  
"If you ask nicely, I can arrange for him to give you another black eye. For old times sake." 

  
"I’m touched, sweetie." 

  
"In the meantime, though,” the agent picked up the first photo again and waved it in front of your eyes. “I want any sort of information about this man’s whereabouts. I want to find him." 

  
You snorted, clinking your handcuffs loudly, on purpose. "You must truly be desperate to come to me with this." 

  
"I’m not desperate. I’m doing my job. I have a man to find. You’re my link to him. Now, I’d appreciate if you could-" 

  
"What’s in it for me?" 

  
For a very brief moment, Kandomere seemed surprised. Sure, the tactic you always used centered on delaying everything for as long as possible and changing subjects in order to annoy whoever was unlucky enough to hold an investigation over you. You’ve been through that a hundred times by now, and more than a few involved Kandomere and his human partner. 

  
You couldn’t blame him for the surprise of you actually getting interested in what he was talking about. 

  
"What’s in it for me?” you repeated, the smile gone from your face. 

  
Kandomere’s eyebrows rose in a mocking expression. “You’re in no position to make any demands." 

  
"I want a favor." 

  
"Pardon me?" 

  
"A favor. One day, I’ll come knocking at your door and you’re gonna help me." 

  
Kandomere’s eyes locked on the glass for less than a second. It was just a quick glance, but it was enough to prove Montehugh was indeed watching. 

  
"I’ll tell you everything I know of this man then,” you teased, but the core of your voice was serious. You have been thinking about it for the past minutes, and it seemed like the right decision. 

  
It would take a miracle to work, but you had very little to lose. 

  
“No.”

  
That was his answer. 

  
You nodded, not really expecting anything else. 

  
“I see. Good luck with your case, then.”

  
“You will not leave this room until you-" 

  
"It’s okay. I like it here anyway. It’s so modern and cozy." 

  
"Have a good sleep then." 

  
With that, he left. He’s taken everything with him, except for the first photograph. It was such an old trick, meant to work your mind and, in the end, make you more prone to finally break and spill your information, just to be done with all of that mess. 

  
The agent was smart, just as you figured during your previous conversations. 

  
What he didn’t know, was that you wouldn’t survive as long as you did, if you spilled your guts so easily. 

  
It was going to be such a pleasant night. 


	2. Chapter 2

It took them over three hours to think through all of their options and weigh down their chances.

As you gathered, they must have truly been desperate to continue with that show.

This time you met with the both of them. Agent Montehugh came with his own chair, as the interrogation room wasn’t supplied for yet another person.

“My favourite agent!” you falsely exclaimed. “I missed you. How have you been? Did you think about those diet tips I gave you?”

Kandomere’s face was drawn and tense as he sat at the table, careful not to touch the sticky surface. A muscle tensed in Montehugh’s left cheek - a sign of strong emotions, none of which he could currently act on, probably thanks to his boss’s current policy. How lovely.

“So, which one of you is the good cop now?”

The huge man gave you a heavy look that spoke louder than words. He’s always been the easier one to get under his skin.

You wouldn’t say it was entirely his character’s fault, though. It was common knowledge, at least to those blessed with knowing you, that you could be… a little difficult to deal with for extended periods of time. Such as being locked in a room for hours.

Montehugh pointed at the lonely photo, stuck to the table.

“Tell us who that is and you’ll be free to go.”

You carefully examined it.

“I’m fairly certain it’s a man, although it would be foolish to base my judgment on appearance. So, where’s the key?” you smiled, clanging the handcuffs loudly.

“Don’t pretend you haven’t already opened them,” Kandomere sighed, bent over an open file. Sadly, from your position, you couldn’t read anything in it.

Groaning, you shook off the handcuffs. “Fine.”

Montehugh frowned, taking a look at them. As far as he was concerned, those should work.

“How?” he still asked. It was strange to hear him not shout.

“I’ll tell you for 100 bucks.”

“Fuck off.”

You sent him a sweet kiss. Kandomere was doing an amazing job pretending he couldn’t hear anything. His focus on the file was absolute.

The silence was something you got used to in previous hours, but still it wasn’t a welcome sensation. Just as the agents intended, it was slowly wearing you down. If you were a tiniest bit less stubborn, you’d give them any information they wanted, just to be able to get out.

“How much?”

You’ve been so lost in your internal suffering that you almost didn’t catch Kandomere’s words.

“For what?” you raised your chin, meeting his eyes calmly.

He pointed at the photo.

“Oh. 10 for the name. Another 10 for the address.”

“10 bucks?” Montehugh scoffed. “You must truly be-”

“10 THOUSAND, sugarbear,” you corrected him with an icy cold precision. “I do have to pay rent.”

“No.” Kandomere’s answer cut off any further verbal bloodshed. “Name another price. For an address.”

“I already did,” you reminded him, the jokes all gone from your voice.

You were tired. It was not your first clash with the agents and yet, they continued to act as if no rules for cooperation have already been established between you. The pressure of time you only speculated about must be real.

“We can give you immunity if you’re worried about consequences,” was Kandomere’s offer. It would surprise you more, if it wasn’t actually offensive.

“You’re very sure of yourself, agent,” you eyed him down. He didn’t seem to care, his face unreadable and composed as always. “But you forget that I’m no snitch.”

“Oh really?” Montehugh scoffed again. “‘Cause it damn looks like that to me, if you ever wanna leave this room.”

“I am an information broker. If I start selling my clients for free, I might as well put a bullet in my head with my own hands.”

“But selling them for money is somehow better?”

“When they come to me, they are informed of that possibility.”

Kandomere stopped looking through the file in his hands. You wondered when was the last time he slept. The dark circles under his eyes might be well conceived, but when you knew what to look for, you still noticed them.

“And they keep coming anyway?” he inquired silently.

“Indeed. Looks like my reputation, and the work I put into it, actually pays off when well maintained.”

“Point taken,” he gave the tiniest nod.

It surprised you more than anything that happened in that room previously.

Montehugh seemed eager to burst with something very emotional, and probably more than a little violent, but he kept quiet. He tried not to look at his boss, but you noticed the tension in his arms and the sweat shining on his forehead.

The elf was lost in thought for a moment.

Sadly, before you managed to think of something to make their blood boil again, he raised his head.

“My offer is what you asked for earlier, in exchange for the current address of this man, delivered in the next five minutes. This is my final offer.”

And before he managed to continue…

“Deal,” you said.

And it took him only a moment at your shamelessly growing smile that he reconsidered your reason for making such a show of the interrogation.

The point was not hiding the man’s address.

It was making Kandomere owe you.


	3. Chapter 3

Kandomere’s lips formed a very thin, very tense line. He did not enjoy being played with.

Montehugh didn’t seem to notice his boss’s displeasure. His arms squared and made you wonder when the punch would arrive. To be fair to yourself, you deserved it even in your own eyes.

Well, business is business. There’s no time for tears.

With a smile diabolic enough to make Kandomere regret his decision, you leaned comfortably back in your chair, assessing your newest partners.

“It’s a bargain, so I want it written,” you stated calmly, shifting into business mode.

“You’re not getting shit,” sneered Montehugh, but after the tiniest moment of hesitation, Kandomere plucked one of loose pages from the file and begun writing in hasty, but still elegant letters.

You patiently waited, knowing all too well the ways of elves. The paper, no matter what he inscribed on it, and even with his signature, wouldn’t mean anything to him, ever. The only reason he didn’t protest it yet was probably to shut your mouth about it and avoid holding an unnecessary argument. Still, it felt nice to watch him do what you asked. At the very least you’d get a nice look at his signature, if there ever came a necessity of forging it.

He slammed the paper before you the moment his expensive looking pen left its surface.

“Done.”

You folded it carefully enough not to smudge the still fresh ink and hid it in your jackets’ inside pocket. It was refreshingly empty since all your belongings had been taken from you before locking you in the room.

Montehugh didn’t let your joy linger too long before reminding you of your end of the bargain.

“We’re listening.”

You nodded, as satisfied as you could be in your position.

“The man’s name is Sam Campbell, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s more of a nickname. I was able to dig deep enough to find records calling him Sam Griffin. Whether it’s the real one, I was unable to identify. His current operation base is set up around the Higgin’s bar, in one of the buildings surrounding it. Probably in the old apartment 4. He is, or in the past days he was, in the middle of changing places, though. I gave him a tip to check out the abandoned investments of the long dead Ironwood’s Company. I have no idea were the man is at the very moment.”

The silence lasted only a few seconds before the agents broke into a heated discussion with each other, leaving you, blessedly, forgotten.

Selling your client was not something you preferred to do, but your consciousness didn’t bother you for it. The type of people that came to you were usually content with the extent of confidentiality you offered. It’s not like you hid it from them.

Satisfied, and lost in your thoughts, you didn’t expect the agents to stand up and turn to the door without even acknowledging your presence.

What you expected even less was the firm grip on your shoulder when you tried to sneak out behind them.

“Come on,” you whined in Montehugh’s face. “I want to leave. You can’t lock me in here forever.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Kandomere reassured you with too smooth a tone.

“You’re coming with us,” finished Montehugh with a grin on his sweaty face.


	4. Chapter 4

"Nice car," you said, louder than was necessary, from the backseat of a very new, and very elven car. 

There were few people that would enjoy being forced into what, you supposed, was a secret MTF operation, and you were not one of them. Which was a shame. You'd gladly give it up to someone more thrilled to risk their life and reputation. 

You tried very hard not to dwell on the consequences of someone noticing you anywhere close to the cops. Worse, actually - magical cops. 

You schooled your features into a mask of boredom. Attracting the agents’ attention again was the last thing you needed - you had already been showered in plenty enough of it. 

Having the whole backseat to yourself, you turned a little and straightened your legs in the space you had. It hid your face from nosy passersby through the window. Having nothing better to do, you were left alone with your thoughts. The agents were busy talking to each other and to their phones. The MTF jargon was not something you were used to, but from what you were able to piece together, orders of mobilization were given left and right. Poor Sam was going to be hunted in the whole district. 

Good. You never liked the bastard anyway. Even his money stank of blood. 

You may have skipped some of the education, especially compared to the agents sitting on the front seats, but once upon a time, life taught you a valuable lesson - money was money. Whether you liked the methods it came to you, there were times when money was the only key that opened some locks. 

Like right now. 

A sigh escaped you, unnoticed by the agents. The streets flashed with colorful lights brightening the night as they passed by the car. An elven car in a non-elven part of the city had a guaranteed pass wherever it headed. Even a car had it better than you. 

During the time you spent in the interrogation room, you’d hoped you would come to terms with how ironic your situation was, but the longer the ride was, the more it dawned on you. 

It was supposed to be one of your last gigs. Sam's money was dirty, but it would get you out of town and wipe any traces of your disappearance. Throughout the years you'd spent selling information on the streets, you managed to save enough money to start a life somewhere else. You already had an eye on a place in a remote enough location not to be bothered by any prying eyes. 

Two more jobs, and you'd be free. Dead to the world, but free at long last. 

And yet, here you were, stuck with people that would have something against their best information broker vanishing. If they caught a wind of your plans… 

Kandomere's eyes were fixed on you when you glanced at the rearview mirror. You forced the tension and stress off your shoulders and put on your innocent face. "What? It really is a nice car, agent. I'm starting to think of getting one myself." 

"That confession guarantees that if anything happens to my car, you'll be the first person I'll look for." 

"Ask me to dinner and I'll come myself," you purred. 

Montehugh barked a laugh. "A stray like you would be lucky to—" 

"Focus on the road, we're getting closer," Kandomere cut him off, no change in his tone. "Aren't we?" 

He didn't turn his head, but you knew the last part was directed to you. You dared a look through the window. The familiar flats painted in colors muddled by years of neglect welcomed you coldly, as did the roads filled with potholes to the point of making it difficult to use a car. 

"Take a right turn there," you leaned closer to the agents, hiding your head in your arms. The windows were dark, but places like this always had eyes watching. 

Montehugh frowned with a grimace wrinkling his face. "Why the f—" 

"You're about to cross the border of his territory. He'll be informed if his men see you." 

He scoffed, but slowed down, as if unsure if he should take the turn. Kandomere's expression cleared his confusion out. 

"Right, 'cause it totally doesn't look like we're packing our asses into a trap," he muttered, entering a parking lot under what used to be a business center. 

It was dark, because any lamps that might have been installed there once upon a time, had already been either stolen or destroyed by kids wandering through the area. It was the perfect place for wreaking some destruction far from unwanted eyes and ears. You used to come here too, because the rust-eaten cars left there years ago sometimes had good parts still working, just waiting for someone to make better use of them. Coin was coin. 

"You better regroup your boys somewhere before you strike. If you don't catch Sam on the first try, he won't contact me again," you said, leaning your head on the window. 

All the fierceness you felt back in the interrogation room was seeping through your pores, leaving you an empty, tired shell. You got what you needed. It cost you, but you made it. 

The agents exchanged words and Montehugh left the car. His voice was muffled by the thick glass, but you figured he was talking on the phone again. Apparently, some calls were too important to be heard by someone as treacherous as you. 

"Thank you." 

You startled, not expecting Kandomere's voice. Somehow, you were sure he got out of the car too. 

You caught his gaze in the wing mirror, his features illuminated only by the car's lights. 

You winked. 

"For old time's sake." 


	5. Chapter 5

Watching Montehugh walk around the car as he talked on the phone was not how you planned on spending the evening. But, it could be much worse. 

  
You leaned your head on the backseat. Kandomere didn’t move much. 

  
“Can I go home now?" 

  
"I’m afraid not." 

  
"I can’t help you any more, I told you all I know. If you plan on making me bring you Sam’s head myself in a nice little package, I’m sorry but I’ll have to refuse. I’m not in the mood." 

  
The elf made the tiniest sound that very few people would recognize as something resembling a laugh. It made you smile a little too. It was nice to know he hadn’t changed. 

  
Deprived of anything better to do, your mind wandered back to other instances when you heard him do that. There weren’t many, and that’s probably why it surprised you every time. It was as shocking as finding out how much his eyes could change when he, for once, didn’t want to murder you in cold blood. It would be too far fetched to say they were warm, but a certain hint of warmth was capable of changing his look, and face, to an extent you weren’t prepared for initially. 

  
It didn’t get more casual the second time around. 

  
Nor the third. 

  
Counting those memories had become sort of a habit of yours, but one that you were only able to pursue while around the man himself. 

  
Otherwise, when you were alone, your mind would conjure up what you knew could never be pursued. Only in reality there was always something in between the two of you that would separate you, acting as a reminder of the way the things should stay. 

  
The car’s lights were off, and in the faint shimmer coming from the street lamps you were only capable of seeing the faint shape of his profile and back. The ghost of blue hints in the deep shadows of his hair. He’d allowed you to touch it, once, on an occasion that shouldn’t have happened. 

  
The smooth, silky strands between your fingers was something you could still recall…

  
But that would be digressing from here and now. 

  
Covered in the deep shadows inside Kandomere’s car, you watched as more officers came, parking their cars around the place. It seemed like a briefing was in motion. 

  
"Aren’t you joining them?” you asked. 

  
“There’s no need." 

  
The answer was plain and simple. It came with perfect timing, as if the matter was obvious. 

  
"I want to go home." 

  
"No, you don’t." 

  
That one surprised you. Raising your brow in the dark, sitting behind the man was pointless, but you couldn’t stop the habit. "And how did you come to that conclusion?" 

  
It was a mockery of a question, the sarcasm dripping off every word, but Kandomere’s flat tone didn’t change. 

  
"You wanted to go home a few hours ago—and you were quite fierce about it, as usual. But right now, it seems as if all the air has left you." 

  
The officers regrouped outside. Montehugh was in the middle of it, for once looking perfectly in the right place. 

  
Kandomere should be by his side too, spitting orders and correcting details with as much ease as it took to breathe. He shouldn’t be sharing your shadows and the faint, slippery silence that seemed to hush every word spoken too loudly. 

  
"What changed?” came the question that was inevitable from someone capable of noticing the details you couldn’t hide. You tried to hide them, but there were probably a ton of the ones you didn’t even know could be read from you. 

  
It elicited half a smile from you. Not meant to be convincing, but that wasn’t the purpose. 

  
Your eyes met in the mirror to your right. The lights of multiple vehicles cast more light to the elf now, making him easier to look at, but not to read his face. His features were schooled into a careful, neutral mask of boredom. If anyone looked at him from the outside, they wouldn’t guess there was anything to worry about. 

  
Kandomere had always been good at pretending. 

  
“Maybe I’ve just become tired?” you suggested a pitiful excuse of an answer. 

  
His eyes demanded a proper one. 

  
“Why would you care?” It was more of a jab than an answer. It betrayed you, somehow, even in the shadows. 

  
“You used to want to go back to your life, however shitty it was. Now you only want out,” he said, not much of a question in his voice, as if he was writing down your life piece by piece in short, undisputed words laying down the road you followed. “Where would you go? And I don’t mean in a literal sense, because we both know you change those holes you spend the nights in all the time. You seem like you have something different coming." 

  
"Would that be so bad?" 

  
"Would it be so bad to stay, for once, somewhere where you could belong?" 

  
It was like fencing, with your every move parried and turned against you.

  
"And where could that be?” you asked what had already been asked before. 

  
“My offer stands,” he said what had been a possibility for a while now. 

  
“So does my answer to it. You’d get bored. I’d get bored." 

  
"Would that make whatever happens before any less worth trying out?" 

  
"Since when are you the one for trying new things? You’ve never seemed the type.”

  
“Some things make it seem worth it,” he said. 

  
Your breath caught. You hoped he didn’t notice. It was a fool’s hope, for he always read you like an open book once you dropped the routines of an officer or a suspect, informant or whoever you had to become at the moment. 

  
It was nice, actually, to be able to become someone who felt closer to the truth than the other roles. It had always been easy with him. To forget about everything else. 

  
“I wouldn’t fit into your world.”

  
“I can always throw away some furniture. It’s not like enough space for your ego can’t be done." 

  
Despite your best efforts, a laugh erupted from you. Sadly, the moment ended when Montehugh knocked on Kandomere’s window, urging him out. 

  
Before he left, the elf sent you a questioning look, but you didn’t answer it. You watched him lock the car and follow his partner to wherever he was needed. A part of your mind suggested slipping out. You had enough experience in the matter for the simple car lock to stand in your way, but for once you didn’t act on it. 

  
You had made up your mind. It was finally time to do what felt right. 


	6. Chapter 6

The clock hanging over the automatic doors chimed at 3 in the morning. Around it, Kandomere could see the stains of what must’ve once been coffee, probably bought at the cheap and hygienically dubious booth he was currently trying to appear busy around. The person throwing it must’ve had good aim.

The lukewarm fluid swirling in his paper cup looked as dreadful as it smelt. Drinking something so thick and oily was a health hazard and a risk Kandomere was most definitely not ready to take.

The rain outside was loud in the strained silence of the night. It forced the few people desperate for a bus at this hour to wait inside the old building, freezing without the central heating. Stations like that one never seemed to be overflown with travelers, despite everything looking right at the first sight. There were a few stalls offering food, not exactly fresh, but good enough for individuals hungry enough not to care. There was a board with all the hours of departures and places you could go, and somewhere in the rain waited the busses you could take if only you had enough money.

Nothing was off, and yet the air stank of sweat, desperation, and cheap cleaning products poured on the floorboards twice a year. The few people that gathered in the restricted space of the waiting area didn’t utter a word to one another. Unconsciously, they tried to stay as far from the others as was possible on the chairs with gum stuck under the seat.

It wasn’t a completely rotten place - Kandomere had a good memory of what truly hideous places felt like. There were, in fact, worse picks for those in need of a ride outside of town without gaining anyone’s attention. Those places were of little interest to him, but in his line of work he’d have to be completely deaf or dense not to be aware of how many of those rides never reached their destination. With that in mind, Kandomere had to admit that things could’ve been worse. Still, he wasn’t particularly happy about trying to blend in such a place.

He didn’t really have to, actually - it was all a matter of choice that brought him there at such an early hour, preceded by a note with scraps of information. He was used to receiving information from multiple sources, but he had to admit some of them were lacking in skills you made him used to. Still, the note brought him there. He wished it could be done by someone else.

He felt out of place.

Kandomere pretended to sip from his cup, holding his breath for a moment to avoid the stench.

He heard steps from the second entrance. Those steps were lively, and out of place too. They belonged to a person far less desperate and broken than usual visitors.

Just as he guessed, you stopped next to him, in front of the large, far-from-clean window watching the busses.

“What brings someone like you to such a rathole?” you asked, a smile playing on your lips.

“You,” the elf replied. A thin man looking like a shadow of his former self shot you a curious gaze from the nearby stall.

Kandomere eyed him. There was nothing on him to betray his profession, but the man fled anyway.

“Are you here to arrest me?” you asked.

“Are you here to commit a crime?”

“Who knows?” you shrugged and stepped away. Kandomere threw his cup into a bin before following you.

Your steps echoed in the old building. The roof was high, and in better days it must’ve looked grand. Now it was only a cobwebbed space nesting a few pigeons.

You approached a grate guarding the concrete stairs, shadowed because of broken lights. The glass from the cracked bulbs covered the first few steps.

“It’s closed,” Kandomere noticed sternly.

“Only for the good citizens.”

You reached for the grate over the lock and shouldered it hard. The lock, already rusted, didn’t last long.

With a dramatic bow, you welcomed him in. Kandomere was far from happy. The stench of old piss forced its way into his nose and down his throat.

The stairs led to the roof, wet from the pouring rain. It was loud, hitting the concrete with all the wrath the skies accumulated in the past days. You stopped on the edge of the staircase before it.

“I thought you’d give up your wait half an hour ago,” you said, hands buried in your pockets. The air was cold and humid.

Kandomere tried not to touch the walls which were sweating brown, murky rain. “I had my reasons.”

“Care to share?”

“Something tells me you were aware of everything,” he snapped.

“Don’t act so tough. I was just curious which one of my little birds would be careless enough to spy on me for you. There’s nothing better than a double agent, but only if they do their work right.”

Kandomere understood.

“You deliberately tipped them on yourself.”

“I wanted to know how many would turn on me when I made my plans a little bit more official.”

Kandomere eyed you carefully. “You’re lying,” he said at last. “You’ve been changing your plans for a while now. I want to know why.”

“I want a great many answers too. What makes you entitled to get yours?”

“You.” Simple as that. It made your smile dim.

“There was a period when all I wanted was to leave this town and this state and everything that made up my life up until now. I’m tired, Kandomere. No matter what I do, I feel like I’m running in circles. Sure, there are good days, and there are moments I cherish. I just lack… something grander. Something worth the bad ones.”

You expected ridiculing. Maybe an exhausted sigh. Maybe even being called stupid, if he was in a particularly bad mood.

What you didn’t expect was a laugh that echoed down the stairs behind you. You blinked, but nothing changed.

Kandomere brushed his hair off his face.

“Are you seriously telling me you’re having an identity crisis?”

“And what if I am?” you pouted, crossing your arms.

“Nothing. Nothing, and that’s precisely it,” he nodded as if things were settled. He liked to do it, despite things very rarely being settled

“I don’t understand.”

“And that’s okay. I’d be worried if you understood the whole premise of life.” Kandomere turned and walked back down the stairs.

“I’m gonna take that bus if you make fun of me like that!” you said to his back.

“Go ahead. I’ll find you wherever you go.”

The rain continued to pour.

“I was going to use the favor you owe me,” you said, “and make you promise you wouldn’t look for me.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.”


	7. Chapter 7

Montehugh was not having a good day.

It probably had something to do with how early he had to start it, and a little bit more with how disgusting his coffee was. It could've been better if he had had enough time to pick one up on his way to the precinct, but, based on the text, time was sparse. 

Montehugh hated many things, and mornings were at the very top of his list. 

His steps through the precinct were confident to the point of anger, and the few officers on his way tried to appear busy. It was a shitty precinct, with grey, narrow corridors and an ever-present stench of sweat in each and every room. If there was a choice, Montehugh would vote for burning the place to the ground, but sadly, the investigation led them to this part of the city, and therefore they had to cooperate with the local police. 

The only bright side of the situation was that he didn't have to suffer alone—Montehugh chuckled at the mere thought of that wonderful palette of smells punching his elf partner with all its might. 

With something resembling a smile, Montehugh barged into the room connected to the interrogation one. And stopped dead in his tracks. 

"Good morning, darling," you chirped with a smile that could blind. "How lovely that you finally decided to join us." 

Montehugh gaped, blinking. The coffee in his hand and a doughnut in the other were forgotten in the chaos of his brain as it tried to process why and how exactly, you could stand there so proudly, in a place you absolutely shouldn't be. 

"Are you okay, partner? Do you need any help?" you cooed innocently. 

Montehugh shook his head and dropped the coffee and food on the table to his left. To his right, a mirror ran along the length of the wall, allowing him to see into the other part of the room, but forbade from looking through it the other way around. 

You stood on the side the officers and agents were supposed to look at the suspects from and observe behavior during the interrogation. And on the other side sat Kandomere, currently in a conversation with a suspect. 

Something was very wrong with the world. 

Montehugh frowned, and took a hold of his confusion to ask a very important question. 

"What the fuck?" 

"Oh dear, I'd explain, but I'm kind of busy." You gestured toward the conversation and said something into a small microphone that Montehugh was familiar with. It was used to speak directly to the headphone in an agent’s ear in real time, in order to hide the suggestions and observations from the suspect. It was an important task. And something Montehugh usually did. 

"What the fuck?" he repeated, but no one answered since you were the only one in the room. No officers lurked behind your back, and you weren’t cuffed. Something was wrong, and Montehugh desperately pieced together what little he could understand. 

"You washed your hair??" 

You didn't answer. On the other side of the glass, the interrogation seemed to halt, and Kandomere entered the other room. 

And he didn't look surprised. 

He looked at his watch. 

"You're late. We had to start without you," he said to Montehugh. Montehugh who was growing more and more confused. 

"Is this a prank? Please tell me this is a prank." 

"You wish." You walked to his side and looked at the elf with a grin. "Have I done a good job?" 

"A job?" Montehugh cut in. "Since when do you have a job? And clean clothes?" 

"Since this morning—aren't you up to date, partner?" 

If Montehugh believed in souls, he'd say his just left his body. In one last desperate attempt, he looked at Kandomere with a silent, weeping plea in his hazel eyes. 

But Kandomere, as always, was ruthless. "Our home office recognized the added value of our newest partner and suggested officially working together." 

Montehugh sighed. Deeply. Whatever ounce of hope usually resided in his body left completely, and without signing a formal resignation. 

You patted his arm. It felt as if you were hammering nails into his casket. He wished he could wake up from this nightmare, but so far, it didn't seem possible. 

"I need a break," he said in a voice too low, and left. 

You wiggled your eyebrows to Kandomere. "I won." 

"That’s the last time I make a bet with you." 

"Whatever, you can whine all you want during that dinner you own me,  _ partner _ ." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy this series! I just wanted to have some fun with our elf. I enjoy annoying him.
> 
> You can also find me at silence-burns.tumblr.com


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